Chapter 209 Prince Rong Gives Gifts
Xiao Fushu thought to himself and quickly spoke with a smile.
"Two days ago, when I went to the Regent's Palace to ask my sister about you, I learned that the Imperial Master suddenly discovered a book on Southern Xinjiang Gu Shu and asked my sister to go to the Imperial Master's Palace to study Gu Shu."
"Sister, every time you come to the Imperial Master's residence, you often stay for three to two months or even longer. I'm used to it."
The fifth prince nodded after hearing this.
"I didn't expect your sister to be so obsessed with witchcraft."
Xiao Fushu spoke slowly.
"Sister isn't obsessed with Gu magic. It's because of what happened to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince last time that Sister has become wary of Southern Xinjiang Gu magic. She's always wanted to study it thoroughly to avoid a repeat of the situation that happened to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince last time."
The fifth prince lowered his eyebrows after hearing this.
"Xuanyuan has the Imperial Master and your sister. This is Xuanyuan's blessing."
Then he changed the subject.
"What have you been doing these days?"
"After I was injured, I stayed in Fengyi Palace to recuperate, and did not go to the Xiao family to see you."
After hearing this, Xiao Fushu smiled and spoke slowly.
"I just read books, manage the Xiao family's shops, and embroider wedding dresses."
Speaking of wedding dresses, after the New Year, the emperor's mourning period should be over, and the wedding can indeed be prepared. He reached out and held Xiao Fushu's hand and joked.
"It seems that Fushu can't wait to marry this prince."
Why is the Fifth Prince becoming more and more shameless now? Xiao Fushu pulled back his hand and bit his lip.
"When did His Royal Highness the Fifth Prince learn to be so smooth-talking?"
The main hall of Fengyi Palace.
The Queen looked at Princess An Ning in front of her. Although she was of the same generation as Princess An Ning, she was actually old enough to be her mother. When she first met Princess An Ning, Concubine Hui was holding her hand, for fear that she would fall accidentally. Time passed so quickly. Princess An Ning had grown into a graceful young lady, and in the blink of an eye, she had grown old.
"An Ning, you are not young anymore. The Emperor is concerned about your marriage and has specifically instructed me to choose a suitable marriage for you. I am not an outsider. Do you have a man you like? You can talk to the Empress's wife and ask her to grant you a marriage."
Princess An Ning's face showed a hint of shyness when she heard this.
"Empress, what do you want An Ning to say?"
"An Ning's health was not good in the early years. She basically stayed at home and never went out, so she had no contact with many people. Although her health is much better now, to many people, An Ning's health is still not good enough."
The queen listened and looked at her gently.
"At your age, it's time for you to find a husband who loves you."
After hearing this, An Ning looked up at the queen.
"Since the Empress Dowager just said that you are not an outsider, then An Ning will tell her the truth."
"Sister-in-law, An Ning doesn't want to get married."
Looking at the queen with a bit of surprise.
Princess An Ning continued to speak.
"Sister-in-law, my brother said I can live in the Regent's Palace forever. Sister-in-law loves me very much. My health now allows me to go out for a walk occasionally. I have relative freedom in the Regent's Palace. As for money, my brother and sister-in-law let me spend it as I please."
"If I get married, I won't be able to live like this anymore. An Ning has been staying indoors all these years, but she has read some books and heard some things about the outside world from the maids in the mansion."
"After a woman gets married, she has to serve her parents-in-law, observe etiquette, serve her husband, and take care of the concubines and children in her husband's yard. An Ning's body and energy don't allow it. Originally, An Ning's life was raised by her brother and sister-in-law."
"If she has an in-law, if she is lucky enough to meet a husband who loves her, she may be able to live for two more years. But if she meets a husband who doesn't love her, and a mother-in-law who is difficult to get along with, I'm afraid An Ning won't live long."
After hearing what Princess An Ning said, a trace of pity flashed in the queen's eyes. She gently took Princess An Ning's hand and spoke softly.
"An Ning, the Imperial Sister-in-law understands your worries, but women have to get married eventually. Although your brother and sister-in-law love you, they can't be with you forever. You have to think about yourself and find someone who understands your feelings and can truly love you forever."
After hearing this, Princess An Ning lowered her head, a trace of confusion flashed in her eyes. She bit her lip and said softly.
"Imperial sister-in-law, I understand the truth, but I'm really afraid. I'm afraid that the life after marriage won't be what I want. I'm afraid that I won't be able to handle those complicated interpersonal relationships. I'm even more afraid that if I get married, I might as well stay in the Regent's Palace. At least my brother and sister-in-law love me."
The Queen looked at Princess An Ning and sighed softly in her heart. This child had been weak since she was young. Although she grew up under the protection of Concubine Hui and the Regent, she was still a little timid.
"Well, let's put it this way. The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet will be in two days. You should be ready to attend the banquet together. If you find someone you like, tell me and I will be your matchmaker."
"Don't worry, no matter who you're interested in, who's at home, what do they do, how they behave, and what kind of character their parents have, I'll have someone investigate thoroughly."
"If you don't find someone you like, I'll report back to the Emperor."
Princess An Ning nodded after hearing this.
"Then let Her Majesty the Queen worry about it."
The queen smiled and spoke after hearing this.
"Our An Ning is well-behaved, and I am willing to worry about her."
"I heard that the Princess Regent went to the Imperial Master's Mansion to study the Southern Xinjiang Gu. I wonder if she will have time to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet."
An Ning responded with a smile.
"My Lady, given my sister-in-law's personality, whether she's studying Southern Xinjiang's witchcraft or Zi Wei Dou Shu, she often disappears for three or two months. If we want to see her, we'll probably have to wait until the New Year."
The queen sighed after hearing this.
"It's a good thing there are no elders in the Prince Regent's Palace. Otherwise, she would have been away from home for the past few months and there would have been no one to serve the Prince Regent. That would have been disastrous."
Princess An Ning smiled when she heard this.
"That's because when we got married, my brother promised my sister-in-law that whenever she was studying the stars, he would never disturb her, nor would he let anyone else disturb her."
"But now my sister-in-law has gone to the Imperial Master's Mansion, and my brother has also gone to his fiefdom. It's just in time for the New Year, and they've both finished their respective tasks. I guess when they meet, it'll be like a reunion."
Two days passed in a flash.
Mid-Autumn Festival banquet day.
Because it had not been a year since the prince's death, the banquet was simple.
Only some officials and their families were invited.
Despite this, as a royal Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, its pomp and grandeur are still beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Inside the magnificent palace, palace lanterns are hung high and light and shadows flow, making it look like a fairyland on earth.
After the emperor led everyone in offering sacrifices to the moon, the queen asked the palace maids to prepare the banquet.
Because of the prince's matter, the emperor did not ask for any singing or dancing this year. Everyone just had a meal, and then accompanied the emperor and the empress dowager to eat mooncakes before returning home.
The banquet begins.
Prince Rong stood up.
"Grandmother, I wish you a happy life every day, bright and warm like a full moon, with happiness always around you."
The Queen Mother looked at Prince Rong's smiling face and joked with the Emperor.
"Quietly, Prince Rong is just sweet-talking."
Prince Rong spoke with a smile.
"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunions. I went to see my mother two days ago. She said that she couldn't spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with my grandmother and father this year. It was my fault, so I specially asked my grandson to bring a gift to my grandmother."
Then he signaled for someone to present the gift.
"Grandmother, this red coral was prepared by my mother a long time ago as a gift to you. Since I couldn't come and give it to you, I asked my grandson to deliver it on your behalf. Also, this is a mooncake that I made myself. I hope you'll like it."
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